Collective terms for doctors
BMJ 2002; 325 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.325.7378.1498 (Published 21 December 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;325:1498
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Perhaps we should reject the notion of a collective noun. As Adam
Smith wrote, when two or more members of a profession meet together they
do so to benefit themselves and not their clients.
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after reading some of the comments on unexplained illness I suggest
the appropriate collective noun for doctors generally might be a pride of
doctors. For those unable to diagnose their patient's illness and seeking
to label it as imaginary an arrogance of doctors might be more
appropriate. If only more doctors would try to put themselves in their
patient's place and realise that when you are suffering what you need is
some hope of improvement or at least some sympathy.
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How about...
a morula of embryologists,
a thrombus or clot of haematologists,
a mass of oncologists..?
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To drag things a bit further...
a perfusion of cardiologists, (and if they gather again, a reperfusion);
a graft of cardiac surgeons, (sometimes vain);
a CiTy of radiologists;
Vipin Zamvar
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While examining at the Royal College of Surgeons of
Edinburgh some years ago I noted from the doodles on
the clipboard that a previous examiner had not been as
entranced with the performance of the candidates as
one would expect. She or he had listed a series of the
commoner collective nouns, while another handwriting
revealed a more perceptive observer of medical life
according the academics among us with the collective
title of "an absence of professors".
Professor Alan Rodger
Melbourne.
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A pile of proctologists,
A stream of urologists,
A bundle of cardiologists (Left or Right depending on how they voted
on the consultant contract?,
A block of pathologists (post mortem they would be a retained block?
- Oh, sorry paths,
A sample of statisticians,
A cohort of epidemiologists,
A population of public health doctors, or
An outbreak of public health docs, or
A reorganisation of public health docs (also known in the UK as a
Shifted Balance of ....)
Brian McCloskey
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How about...
a run of gastroenterologists
a brace of orthodontists
And perhaps some areas of some specialists' work could lend
themselves to the following....
a pack of ENT surgeons (or is it a he[a]rd?)
a collection of surgeons
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May I suggest an alveolus of respiratory physicians?
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The word "gaggle" of gynaecologists is somewhat pejorative, although
I was called "quack" in 1966 in the army.
A gynaecological "guddle" is a wellknown term for gently bringing pelvic
contents into view manually.
The word is normally used for catching fish by hand.
I suggest it as a collective noun for a group of gynaecologists.
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more collectives
Sir,
A few more collectives to add to suggestions previously submitted:
a palpitation of cardiologists;
a desquamation [or flake or itch] of dermatologists;
a commiseration of coroners;
a crack of osteopaths;
a meridian of acupuncturists;
an illumination of ophthalmologists.
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